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$239 bike for 7 Year old?

Old 08-24-05, 03:02 PM
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$239 bike for 7 Year old?

I keep hearing two voices in either ear. One tells me that it is ok to buy my soon to be 7 year old a $239 Trek Mountain Track 60.

The other voice tells me that it is wasteful and that he will outgrown it in a couple of years. I know that it will retain some value, but i don't expect i would be able to get more than $50-$75 for it in 2 years.

My son says he wants "gears" like my bike and this bike will give him that. I just wonder how many others have bought there kids better bikes and what your experiences are/were?

I know if I spend that much on a bike he won't likely get anything else. If i get him an X-Mart bike there will be more than $100 to get him other gifts. I dunno what the heck to do.
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Old 08-24-05, 03:04 PM
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Somebody please move this to REcreational & Family. I accidentally put it in the wrong forum. Thanks.
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Old 08-24-05, 03:06 PM
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I think the real question is if the extra $139 is worse than the hastle of the x-mart bike breaking when you take him for a ride.
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Old 08-24-05, 03:12 PM
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Buy a good used bike. X-mart bikes are not safe.
 
Old 08-24-05, 03:18 PM
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My 8 y/o has toys'rus $35 bike, it works fine, and he's just as happy with it as his older brother with a $300 BMX. They both just drop it on the ground as a parking method. The harder the better it seems...
Kids don't need expensive toys to be happy.
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Old 08-24-05, 03:18 PM
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That's complete BS that X-mart bikes aren't safe. They aren't the best bikes, but they're affordable and decent for people who can't afford the cost of buying at LBSs. I rode a Walmart mountain bike on roads going 15 mph for years as a kid. It never broke and impaled me in the chest. It's still fine in my garage right now. Now I'm 16 and I wanted to invest the money saved from before for a real road bike and I'm happy I did. Your kid will outgrow the bike, wait till he's in high school and buy him a real bike, maybe a road. Hmmm?
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Old 08-24-05, 03:53 PM
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Do you have any younger kids that could use it as a hand me down?
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Old 08-24-05, 04:03 PM
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Don't do it! By the time he is 8 years old, he'll need a 24". The 24" will last him about 4 years. A 20" is okay for a 6 year old. My 5 year old daughter rides a 20" Fuji 7 speed mountain bike.

If your son has to have a 20" bike now, get a cheap department store bike, knowing that it will last only a year, or buy a used bike and get all your money back when you resell it next year. Heck, if you get a good deal, you might even be able to make a few bucks.
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Old 08-24-05, 06:32 PM
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My 8 year old rides a 26" Trek 820 mtb with a 13" frame. He is a little taller than average I guess, but has no trouble with it and rode with me every day this summer. His last bike was a 20" Trek Mountain Lion(?) that was still in good shape when we donated it to a local charity. We are lucky in that we have been able to teach him to take care of his stuff, so the bike never gets left out, or thrown on the ground. If he did that stuff, he'd be on a Huffy! The Trek cost $229 last fall. My nephews got xmart bikes recently and are already having trouble with shifting and brakes. So far, the Trek has been reliable. If your kid will ride it alot, I don't think that price range is out of line. I am hoping our son will be able to ride his bike for quite a few years before he outgrows it. Now he wants a road bike, but I am not spending $600 on a Trek KDR 1000!
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Old 08-24-05, 06:33 PM
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Originally Posted by DocRay
Buy a good used bike. X-mart bikes are not safe.
bullcrap - take your weak a$$ generalizations elsewhere
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Old 08-24-05, 06:35 PM
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Originally Posted by TheDTrain
That's complete BS that X-mart bikes aren't safe. They aren't the best bikes, but they're affordable and decent for people who can't afford the cost of buying at LBSs. I rode a Walmart mountain bike on roads going 15 mph for years as a kid. It never broke and impaled me in the chest. It's still fine in my garage right now. Now I'm 16 and I wanted to invest the money saved from before for a real road bike and I'm happy I did. Your kid will outgrow the bike, wait till he's in high school and buy him a real bike, maybe a road. Hmmm?

+1
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Old 08-24-05, 06:42 PM
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Originally Posted by Ranger
I keep hearing two voices in either ear. One tells me that it is ok to buy my soon to be 7 year old a $239 Trek Mountain Track 60.

The other voice tells me that it is wasteful and that he will outgrown it in a couple of years. I know that it will retain some value, but i don't expect i would be able to get more than $50-$75 for it in 2 years.

My son says he wants "gears" like my bike and this bike will give him that. I just wonder how many others have bought there kids better bikes and what your experiences are/were?

I know if I spend that much on a bike he won't likely get anything else. If i get him an X-Mart bike there will be more than $100 to get him other gifts. I dunno what the heck to do.
I bought my daughter a Wal-Mart bike - it does everything I have expected it to do. Remember most active kids do 5-10 sports per year - baseball, football, bike riding, roller skating, soccer, basketball, cross country etc etc. I would either buy a new bike from a Target/Wal-mart or a quality second hand bike. Remember most kids are experimenting in sports at this age, it's not a commitment, spending $240 on a bike will eat at your gut for for the next 2 years if he discovers he is not interested.
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Old 08-24-05, 06:53 PM
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My almost 7 year old daughter enjoys her Trek very much. It cost about that much but it was worth it. The Trek is lighter than most cheapo bikes, it has good wheels, it has pretty much the same things that are different in the bikes that we prefer as adults. Plus it was set up and built properly by the LBS who will also check on it in six months. A heavy, slow, and poor performing bike is no fun no matter who you are or what age you are. If a child does not enjoy their bike they will definitely migrate to other activities. I'd gladly spend the same money again. My daughter has already done 18 miles in one weekend and she is already signed up to do two duathlons that she is training for. She loves her bike.
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Old 08-24-05, 07:06 PM
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Congratulations - you have a beautiful daughter - plus the helmet fits right! I hope you two enjoy every mile together
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Old 08-24-05, 07:09 PM
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I doubt that he would be able to tell the difference

And yes, Wal-Mart bikes are safe. 99.9% of kids ride them and I doubt they would be legal to sell if they weren't If I were you I'll use the extra money to get him a water gun or something. Kids lose interests in things very quickly.
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Old 08-24-05, 07:21 PM
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Originally Posted by ginger green
+1
+ another 1
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Old 08-24-05, 07:22 PM
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Originally Posted by ginger green
Congratulations - you have a beautiful daughter - plus the helmet fits right! I hope you two enjoy every mile together
Thanks for your kind words.

We always tell those who are considering different bikes to ride them. The same thought applies to kids. Your neighbors have all kinds of bikes. Once your child has a chance to compare bikes odd are they will be happier with a lighter more responsive bike - just like you. And like you if a child does does not enjoy their bike they will not ride it. The Trek is an aluminum frame - if you pick up any Wal-Mart bike you can immediately tell the difference - and so can they.
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Old 08-24-05, 07:23 PM
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you, i really don't know if its true, but i read somewhere(i think on these forums) that often the bike frames that make up the kids treks and whatnot are the SAME FRAME as the frames on a lot of the XMart bikes.....somthing to think about, anyways.
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Old 08-24-05, 08:16 PM
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Our son (age 7, almost 8) just completed his first "organized" ride last weekend, completing the 16 mile loop on his Trek 60. Only problem was wanting for more gears to go faster! In addition, he seemed to prefer walking the steeper hills vs. trying to gear down and spin his way up. Probably a matter of practice and comfort.

When he has outgrown this bike, his younger brother will use it. After that, we will still have a decent bike with name brand recognition to sell to someone. By that time we will have gotten our money's worth out of it anyway, so whatever we get will be a bonus. I doubt you'd find much market for an "x-mart" bike after that much time and use.

Our local bike shop takes this type of thing on consignment to sell for you; maybe your LBS would also?

Buy quality and you'll only cry once.
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Old 08-24-05, 08:21 PM
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Originally Posted by goldfish
you, i really don't know if its true, but i read somewhere(i think on these forums) that often the bike frames that make up the kids treks and whatnot are the SAME FRAME as the frames on a lot of the XMart bikes.....somthing to think about, anyways.
Surely you don't believe everything you read in these forums. Rest assured there is no way that the frames are the same.
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Old 08-24-05, 08:34 PM
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Well, thanks a lot. Instead of having two different voices telling me to do two different things, now I have 12 different voices telling me to do two different things.

It really is a tough call. I currently have Xmart bikes for both of my kids. (Ages 4 and 6) They really have been pretty good except for the fact that my sons rear wheel wasn't set fully in the dropouts for about 1 whole year before i discovered it.

The problem is that as a parent, we always want the best for our kids. But sometimes we have to ask at what cost? I guess the cost here is $239. Not a whole lot of money but considering my most expensive mountain bike cost $359, i have to stop and think. I have ridden my bikes over 14,000 miles in the last two years. I obviously can justify a good bike, probably a lot better bike but I am starting to think that a cheaper bike might fit the bill for him.
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Old 08-24-05, 08:34 PM
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I recently got remarried and my now new wife bought her 7-year old son a "Toys-r-us" P.O.S., despite my urging against it.

Myself, being a cycling enthusiast, spent the extra cha-ching on a 20" Specialized Hotrock w/6 speeds.

The Hotrock weighs about 6 lbs less. After initial cable stretch hasn't needed much work. Gets ridden further, longer, harder by my 5-year old, then his 7 year old stepbrother who after about 7 miles is too tired to make it back to the trailhead.

The T-r-U bike has needed constant readjustment. The forks have tremendous amounts of stiction and the seat post Quick Release bent trying to get it tight enough so the seat wouldn't move.


Spend the extra $.
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Old 08-25-05, 07:43 AM
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Originally Posted by Ranger
The problem is that as a parent, we always want the best for our kids. But sometimes we have to ask at what cost? I guess the cost here is $239. Not a whole lot of money but considering my most expensive mountain bike cost $359, i have to stop and think. I have ridden my bikes over 14,000 miles in the last two years. I obviously can justify a good bike, probably a lot better bike but I am starting to think that a cheaper bike might fit the bill for him.

One thing to consider is if the LBS has a childrens upgrade program. My LBS (Mystic Cycle Center in CT) had a program where you could trade in your old bike when you outgrew it and put its value towards the purchase of a newer larger bike. I did this, from a 20" Specialized which got traded in for a 24" Jazz Rocket (subdivision of Trek at the time), and then finally I traded that in and got myself a Softride Powercurve XC Mountain Bike. Personally, I would go to the LBS and see if they offer any such programs, because it is a great way to promote cycling and keep the kids fitted correctly. Anyhow, just my $0.02. Whatever you do, make sure it is enjoyable for the kid. And if the LBS doesn't offer any such program check a couple others and if they don't either, then an X-mart bike might be more feasible since your kid will grow undoubtedly.
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Old 08-25-05, 08:26 AM
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X-Mart bikes are fine... BUT... You do have to TIGHTEN everything!!!!

Remember who is putting these bikes together.... Grab your tools and go for it!!!

I just got our 8yr old one of those Schwinn Crusiers... lots of Nuts/Bolts were loose.
99.00 get price from a Shopko. He has a "X-Mart" BMX type bike too... he has about grown out of that one. 10 yr girl has a "X-Mart" ATB she rides all the time.

When they get older...then comes the $$$$$ Bikes. But for now... forget it... save your money.
 
Old 08-25-05, 08:30 AM
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I think its all about what you can afford and how much he will really use it.

For example, we live beneath our means. We are not big spenders and make a good living and are not into material items like expensive cars, so we have money available for stuff that we want to invest more into. So when it came time to get bikes for the family we had no problems buying three bikes at our local LBS including one for my just turned 6 year daughter. Hers was around 150 for the 20inch. The LBS kids bike is so much better then the dept store bikes. This Raleigh bike is lighter and you can tell from the parts and how it rides that the quality is much better.

Then again it fits into what we can afford. Do not over spend if you do not have the money unless this is the one and only big item he will be getting for a while and its that important to him. If its just one more thing and you live on a tight budget then get the dept store bike which is ok. Kids out grow them anyway. We knew when we paid for hers that it would not last like ours because she will outgrow it.

The point is, its hard to make a recommendation without knowing your finiancial situation.
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